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78 faculty in Civil and Environmental Engineering or related disciplines across the University of California, including 6 National Academy of Engineering members, have penned a letter to President Elect Donald Trump

Friday, December 16, 2016

78 faculty in Civil and Environmental Engineering or related disciplines across the University of California, including 6 National Academy of Engineering members, have penned a letter to President Elect Donald Trump, on why climate change considerations are critical to our nation's infrastructure:

*NOTE: The views expressed in this letter don't necessarily reflect the views of AEESP.

December 15, 2016

Dear President-Elect Trump,

As faculty in the civil and environmental engineering disciplines at the University of California, we urge your administration to continue sensible measures to address climate change. Our academic disciplines vary widely, but we share a common aim to ensure that the infrastructure supporting our society is safe, efficient, and dependable and that all citizens have access to a healthy environment. Climate change is a current and rising threat to these goals that requires mitigation for the sake of the safety and security of the citizens of the United States.

There is no legitimate scientific debate about the reality of climate change or the anthropogenic influence on creating this problem. The mechanism behind this is no mystery—the heat trapping effect of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases has long been known. As we have been steadily and dramatically increasing the levels of these gases since the start of the industrial revolution, we have seen a concurrent rise in the Earth’s average temperature, as expected. Regional variations in response to climate change are also expected and that is indeed what has been observed—some regions have gotten colder and some warmer. These variations apply also to changes in the water cycle that have been occurring due to climate change. Unfortunately, many areas that are already dry are projected to get even drier.

As engineers, we are concerned about the staggering human suffering and great economic burden that climate change presents. We have seen a pattern of increasingly intense storms that batter our citizens and infrastructure. Rising sea levels already adversely impact coastal groundwater resources and will continue to do so. Heat waves have cost lives among our most vulnerable populations. Across the globe, storm surges that overwhelm protective structures will threaten greater numbers of people. Animals and plants rely on indications from the climate for the timing of budding, mating, etc.—already climate change has disrupted healthy ecosystems in a multitude of ways.

Shifts to greener infrastructure--such as improvements in energy efficiency and increasing renewable energy--also present great opportunities for U.S. jobs that already represent growth sectors in the global economy. Green technologies developed in the United States can satisfy international demand for new, lower carbon approaches as the world confronts climate change.

In their recent report, “Climate Change: Evidence and Causes,” the United States National Academy of Sciences and the United Kingdom’s Royal Society laid out the evidence behind the consensus that climate change is occurring due to human activities and will cause increasingly significant consequences. In addition, the American Society of Civil Engineers recognizes the hurdles that climate change poses to civil society and encourages policies, research, and shifts in practice that address this issue. The United States must be a leader in the fight on this most important global challenge. You can shape your legacy by embracing this challenge. You have the opportunity to ensure continued forward progress in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, including methane and nitrous oxide, through domestic policy and international cooperation, including the Paris Agreement.

Anthony S. Wexler, Ph.D.Distinguished Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Land, Air and Water Resources, and Director, Air QualityResearch Center University of California Davis